German Fin Min says Greece must decide if it wants to stay in euro zone

Reuters Staff

1 Min Read

BERLIN (Reuters) - Greece must decide whether it wants to remain in the euro zone, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said on Tuesday, adding Berlin is open to discussing debt relief for Athens in 2018 if such a step is needed.

German Finance Minister German Wolfgang Schaeuble attends a news conference following a meeting at the Bercy Ministry in Paris, France, February 22, 2017. REUTERS/Charles Platiau

He also said debt relief for Greece was not an issue at the moment and the goal was to complete the programme review.

“If the agreement is adhered to by all sides, I am confident it will work,” Schaeuble told reporters in Berlin.

He referred to the Eurogroup agreement from May 2016 that debt relief should, as a matter of principle, be looked at from 2018 and if, contrary to expectations, it is needed, such measures could be introduced.